Algae ID

gideon2086 · Mar 6, 2020

Any idea of what this is? It’s tufting with hair growing out of it on the sand. Looks like hair algae on the rocks and it creates a green dust on the glass.

TheShrimpNibbler · Mar 6, 2020

Looks like dino’s to me.

gideon2086 · Mar 6, 2020

TheShrimpNibbler said:
Looks like dino’s to me.

Definitely not. Checked it under a scope. Green and stringy.

gideon2086 · Mar 6, 2020

gideon2086 said:
Definitely not. Checked it under a scope. Green and stringy.

I shouldn't say definitely not.. but I don't think so.

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

The tank is 6 weeks old. Cycled with mature live rock, mature nitrate rock and dr Tim’s. Nutrients have been bottomed out since the start.. chaeto has worked too well. I have 6 fish and some coral plus I’ve been over feeding.. but nitrates and phosphates refuse to rise. This also makes me believe that this is algae and not Dino’s. I have recently had a lawnmower blenny and a kole tang vanish (there are nassarius snails). No inclination as to why.

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

More pics...

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

#reefsquad

GoVols · Mar 7, 2020

gideon2086 said:
nitrates and phosphates refuse to rise.

Those are most likely bound up in your algae / or dinos.

Which leads those being out of your water column to test effectively.

Not sure on the id?

If you scoped, then you scoped.

Break them all apart, then re-test your phosphates and nitrates, again.

Nitrates: Use Salifert

Phosphates: NYOS kit

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

GoVols said:
Those are most likely bound up in your algae / or dinos.

Which leads those being out of your water column to test effectively.

Not sure on the id?

If you scoped, then you scoped.

Break them all apart, then re-test your phosphates and nitrates, again.

Nitrates: Use Salifert

Phosphates: NYOS kit

Thank you. I'll suction as much out as possible in the morning and then test again at night. Under the scope it looks like standard GHA.. however as you can see not so much in the tank. I also did not realize that dinos could potentially be green; I've only fought dark brown in the past.

GoVols · Mar 7, 2020

gideon2086 said:
Thank you. I'll suction as much out as possible in the morning and then test again at night. Under the scope it looks like standard GHA.. however as you can see not so much in the tank. I also did not realize that dinos could potentially be green; I've only fought dark brown in the past.

Break them apart while their inside your reef, then re-test your phosphates and nitrates, to see if it releases phos and nitrates, back into your reef, then suck them out.

Good luck!!

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

GoVols said:
Good luck!!

Thanks! I'll post a picture of a scope shot tomorrow to ensure I am not crazy.

GoVols · Mar 7, 2020

gideon2086 said:
Thanks! I'll post a picture of a scope shot tomorrow to ensure I am not crazy.

I can't id dinos that way, but post it.

@Jason mack @saltyhog

Can you guys id dinos with a scope shot?

Jason mack · Mar 7, 2020

GoVols said:
I can't id dinos that way, but post it.

@Jason mack @saltyhog

Can you guys id dinos with a scope shot?

If theres enough magnification yes

gideon2086 · Mar 7, 2020

Jason mack said:
If theres enough magnification yes

I can go up to 12k. Last time I did it I ripped a tuft off of the top rock.. is that a sensible strategy?

Jason mack · Mar 7, 2020

If it's on your sand bed take it from there...12k will be enough

Jason mack · Mar 7, 2020

This is amphidiniums

This is prorocentrum

Idoc · Mar 7, 2020

It sounds like just the new tank uglies. The rocks and glass are green... life is starting there. If you didn't see dinos on the scope, then probably not dinos. It looks like gha growing out of the sand to me.

Best get those nitrates and phosphates up to around 5ppm and .03-.05ppm respectively. You want this algae to grow to help mature your tank. This will then help it to out compete the dinos later! I occasionally dose Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate and Seachem Flourish Phosphorous if my nutrients get too low. You can also take the skimmer offline fir part of the day and shut off any refugium lights over the chaeto to minimize its growth while trying to raise nutrients.

Get some good cuc helpers in their...a few trochus or astaea snails will attack that green on the rocks.

Jason mack · Mar 7, 2020

Jason mack · Mar 7, 2020

Just been looking at the photos ...doesn't look like dinos too ne either ...I would have too agree with @Idoc ...

GoVols · Mar 7, 2020

Idoc said:
It sounds like just the new tank uglies. The rocks and glass are green... life is starting there. If you didn't see dinos on the scope, then probably not dinos. It looks like gha growing out of the sand to me.

Best get those nitrates and phosphates up to around 5ppm and .03-.05ppm respectively. You want this algae to grow to help mature your tank. This will then help it to out compete the dinos later! I occasionally dose Loudwolf Sodium Nitrate and Seachem Flourish Phosphorous if my nutrients get too low. You can also take the skimmer offline fir part of the day and shut off any refugium lights over the chaeto to minimize its growth while trying to raise nutrients.

Get some good cuc helpers in their...a few trochus or astaea snails will attack that green on the rocks.

He might be hung with the algae sucking in his phos and nitrates like a fuge.

Wouldn't want to break it up and re-test again?